Home Local Sports Archmere girls can’t break through Middletown’s Ava Ripanti in 3-0 soccer defeat:...

Archmere girls can’t break through Middletown’s Ava Ripanti in 3-0 soccer defeat: Photo gallery

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The Auks Christina Rosenbaum (13) approaches the ball while Lyla Bell motions in the back. Cara Cimo plays defense for the Cavailers. Dialog photo/Jason Winchell

CLAYMONT — Archmere’s girls soccer team put some pressure on Middletown when the teams met on March 23 at Coaches Field, but the Cavaliers were able to put up a clean sheet against the Auks in a 3-0 victory.

Playing under overcast skies with a constant threat of rain, the teams met for the fourth straight season since 2018 — the 2020 season was canceled because of the pandemic. As has been the case in the previous three, it was an entertaining affair.

After an early Auks challenge, the Cavaliers went to work on offense. Emma Minzer drove the left side after a steal in the 10th minute, only to have the ball poked out of bounds by the Auks. Gabriella Riley managed a shot after the throw-in, but Auks goalkeeper Ava Soscia made the stop.

The Cavs would try again in the 12th. Two shots were interrupted by the defense, and a long crossing pass from a Cavaliers attacker was headed wide. A corner kick in the 21st, however, yielded a different result. The kick was sent into a crowded box in front of Soscia, and Mylene Henn was able to gather the ball and knock it off an Archmer defender into the net.

That was it for the scoring in the first half, although both teams had chances on corner kicks, and Middletown had a 30-yard free kick sail wide of the net in the 36th minute. Cavs goalkeeper Ava Ripanti was called on to make two saves late in the half, one coming off a point-blank shot from Auks freshman Marina Mahon.

The Cavs doubled their lead four minutes into the second half. Minzer took control of a pass about 10 yards in front of Soscia and chipped it in over the keeper.

The Auks had three corner kicks in a 15-minute span in the second half, but they were unable to pressure Ripanti on them. Their best shot came off the foot of Sophia Tobin, whose shot from a severe angle was stopped by Ripanti. The keeper also came up big on two late attempts by the Auks’ Emma Gioffre.

Archmere’s backstop, Soscia, kept the score 2-0 with a nice save midway through the second, but the Cavaliers did add a third goal in the final minutes when Riley curled a shot just around the near post.

Final statistics were not available on Wednesday evening. Middletown (1-0) begins a three-match homestand Tuesday against Smyrna at 3:30 p.m. The Auks (1-1) travel to Appoquinimink on Friday for a 4 p.m. start.

All photos by Jason Winchell.